Phoenix tops list of cities for recent college grads

PHOENIX — Phoenix ranked No. 1 on a new list of top 10 cities for college graduates.

Apartments.com‘s sixth annual Top 10 Cities for Recent College Graduates looked at the top 100 cities with the highest apartment unit availability and then took into account each city’s employment opportunities, median income and age and average rent for a one-bedroom apartment.

The list also evaluated each city’s unemployment rate, percentage of men- and women-only households and the percentage of people living in the city between the ages of 25 and 29.

A press release from Apartments.com said:

While the national unemployment rate is moving down, competition for jobs is still stiff, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics citing 11.7 million unemployed persons (April 2013) and a mere 3.8 million available jobs (March 2013). With apartment rents increasing each year and the continuing challenges of a slower economy, it is becoming more important for recent grads to explore the possibility of starting their professional lives in a city that offers the best overall opportunity for employment, career success, living affordability and an energetic, youthful culture.

The website’s Nancy Davies said Phoenix took the top spot based on its strong employment opportunities, average salary and affordable rent prices.

According to Apartments.com, these are best cities for recent college graduates along with each city’s average rent for a one-bedroom apartment: